Easel.



No. 730,774. PATBNTED JUNE 9, 1903..

B. w. KINGSBURY.

' BASEL.

APPLIOATION mum mm. 10, 1902.

STATES Patented June 9, 190 3.

PAT NT OFFICE.

EAS EL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.'730,774, dated June 9, 1903. Application filed December 10, 1902. Serial No. 134,632. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern;

Be it known that LEDMUND W. KINGSBURY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Framingham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Easels, of

which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an easel embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of said easel and a block of sketching-paper mounted thereon. Fig. 3 is a plan showing the easel closed for transportation. Fig. at is a perspective view showing a method of using the easel while the artist is in a sitting position; Fig. 5 is a like view showing a method of using the easel while the artist is standing, the dotted lines showing the easel in an extended position; and Fig. 6 shows a hook which I employ on my easel.

As is well known,artists when afield sketching and painting are very dependent upon tripod-easels to support their canvases, sketching-blocks, or the like. These tripods are carried by hand from place to place and set up, if possible,at desired points of view. Should any of the latter be unstableas, for instance, a canoe-or should the wind be blowing hard enough to cause the slightest quivering of the tripod and its canvas," the artist would be compelled to use thehand holding the colors to steady the tripod. This is a great inconvenience and distraction and very much impairs the value of the tripod as an easel. Further, it will be plain that in many instances the configuration of the ground will render the use of the tripod impossible.

Now the object of my invention is to provide means that will overcome these objections and others that will appearhereinafter. The principal features of my invention are, first, a lap-piece adapted to support an artists colors and having secured thereto a back piece or picture-rest to hold a canvas, a block of sketching-paper, or the like on edge; second, means for locking said back and said lappiece in fixed relation to each other; third, means for steadily holding the lap-piece in operative position; fourth, an arrangement of parts that will permit the back. piece to be so immovably secured to the lap-piece that the former may in the plane of the lap-piece be moved longitudinally thereof, and; fifth, means whereby the easel and the trunk of the artists body will always have the same relation to each other regardless of whether the artist is sitting or standing.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle, A is a lappiece, and B a back piece or picture-rest.

The lap-piece A has two rods (1 a, fixed in parallelism by braces a a a, the inner and adjacent faces of said rods being slotted, as at a ed, to serve as ways for a second pair of parallel rods 1) b, which, with the rest, forms the complete picturerest 13. Braces b b bind these rods 1) I) together, oneof said braces serving as a shelf or box for colors and brushes. This rest is made up of side pieces b 71 pivotally secured, as by screws, to the rest-rods b b, and likewise has stay-pieces 19 19 The side pieces 19 12 fold inside the rest-rods b l) and may be swung up and away from the latter until saidsi de pieces 12 b abut the brace b on the rest-rods b b. A notch 19 is cut in back of each ofthe rest-rods b b to the rear of the pivotal connections between the side pieces 6 b and the rest-rods]; b and is designed to receive and retain the bottom edge of a canvas, picture-block, or the like 0. A strip of elastic materal, as an elastic band b", is secured at one end to the brace b of the rest by means of a ring I) and has a hook I) at the other to engage the top of said canvas 0, which may be of any size, said strip when stretched holding the canvas in engagement with said notches b b. This arrangement of notches and pivotal and elastic connections holds the canvas in position and preventsa collapse of the picture-rest.

The hook b has a shank provided with a spiral whose axis is transverse to that of the shank. By sliding said band around the spiral the band and the hook are quickly and permanently secured together.

To the rear of the parallel lap-rods (L a a waist-strap a is detachably and adjustably secured. Likewise secured to said rods is a neck-strap a, the right-hand end being near enough the inner end of the lap-piece so as not to interfere with a free movement of the artist's right or painting arm, while the lefthand end is well forward toward the rest B to give the needed support, as is shown in Fig. 5.

My invention is used in the following manner: The lap piece A is placed upon the knees of the artist and is then firmly held in position by passing the strap a about his waist and securing the free end ofsaid strap to a pin a on the opposite lap-rod a, as is shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, the picture-rest B swung up and open, as in Fig. 1, a canvas 0 dropped into the notches b b, and the hook b snapped into engagement with the top of the canvas C, as appears in Fig. 2. To adapt said elastic band to be used for small canvases, it may be disposed around a bar at the back, as b or 6 and thus shortened before being snapped into engagement with said small canvas. The easel is thus locked wide open and the canvas held in a fixed position. To vary the distance of the canvas from the body, the artist pushes or pulls, for example, the shelf 1), and the picture and rest assume the position such as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. Further, if circumstances require the artist to stand erect while sketching the neck-strap b is passed around the back of his neck, as apv pears in Fig 5, and the artist has the uuob structed use of both hands. Often the nature of the ground prevents the setting up of the alwaysnecessary sketchingumbrella. By my invention the idle hand is free to hold the umbrella, as in Fig. 5, or to hold a maul-. stick, as in Fig. 4.

From the above description it will be very plain that an easel embodying my invention is simple and cheap in construction, and by reason of its compactness and shape when folded, as in Fig. 3, it may be easily carried wrapped up into a parcel with camp-chair, &c., cannot be overturned by the wind or an accidental knock, is always in a useful position, provided the trunk of the artists body is upright, that the picture can be moved toward or away from the artist for convenience or for examination without his changing the position of his body, that the construction permits a free use of both hands at all times and enables him while standing to use an easel under circumstances that would render the use of the old tripod impossible.

While I have shown the preferred form of construction most suitable for water-color sketching, I do not wish to be limited thereto. For example, While I have employed wood any other suitable material may be used. If desired, the lap-piece and the rest may be made solid instead of skeleton frame, the connection between the lap-piece and rest may be pivotal or fixed permanently or not, and the easel may be locked open, as described, or in any other well-known manner,

and, further, instead of the strap or straps shown to secure the easel to the artists body any other equivalent way may be used; but

any or all these changes would embody the invention I desire to claim.

What I claim is- 1. An easel, made up of a lap-piece, and a picture-rack pivotally secured thereto; an abutment limiting the outward movement of the picture-rack; a canvas or sketching-block engaging a slot in the lap-piece; and a.pressure device to lock .the upper portion of said canvas or block to the picture-rack, and thereby prevent a collapse of the picture-rack.

2. An easel, made up of a lap-piece, and a picture-rack pivotally secured thereto; an abutment limiting the outward movement of the picture-rack; a canvas or sketching-block engaging a slot in the lap-piece, and elastic material, one end of which is secured to the picture-rack, and the other provided with a hook to be snapped into engagement with the upper edge of said block or canvas to prevent a collapse of the picture-rack.

3. An easel, made up of a lap-piece, consisting of two parallel and braced rods having their adjacent faces slotted longitudinally; and a picture-rack pivotally mounted upon two parallel and braced rods that engage said slotted rods of the lap-piece to permit movement in the plane of the lap-piece; said picture-rods being adapted to fold down between said braced rods of the lap-piece, so that the rods of the lap-piece, and the picturerack may be folded and confined in one plane, for transportation.

4:. An easel, made up of a lap-piece, consisting of two parallel and braced rods having their adjacent faces slotted longitudinally; a picture-rack'mounted upon two parallel and braced rods that engage said slotted rods of the lap-piece to permit movement in the plane of the lap-piece; said picturerods being adapted to fold down between said braced'rods of the lap-piece, so that the rods of the lap-piece and picture-rack may be folded and confined in one plane for transportation; and a waist-strap operatively connected to the rear portion of said lap-piece.

5. An easel, made up of a lap-piece, consisting of two parallel and braced rods having their adjacent faces slotted longitudinally; a picture-rack mounted upon two parallel and braced rods that engage said slotted rods of the lap-piece to permit movement in the plane of the lap-piece; said picture-rods being adapted to fold down between said braced rods of the lap-piece, so that the rods of the lap-piece and picturerods may be folded and confined in one plane for transportation; a waist-strap operatively connected to the rear portion of said lap-piece; and a shoulder-strap operatively connected to said lap-piece.

6. An easel, made up of a lap-piece, consisting of two parallel and braced rods having their adjacent faces slotted longitudinally; and a picture-rack pivotally mounted IIO upon two parallel and braced rods that ensaid easel to contain colors, brushes and the gage said slotted rods of the lap-piece to perlike. [6 mit movement in the plane of the lap-piece; In testimony whereof I affix my signature said picture-rods being adapted to fold down in presence of two Witnesses.

5 between said braced rods of the lap-piece, so EDMUND W. KINGSBURY-.

that the rods of the lap-piece and the picture- Witnesses: rack may be folded and confined in one plane, S. PAULINE GALLAGHER, for transportation; and a shelf mounted on HARRY R. STANLEY. 

